![Orla smiles a little, talking about Rook, "He’s not like my kin, or anyone else in the water. He doesn’t want from me, the way males do, or expect me to be like him, like females do. We talk. And we listen to each other."
Gerlinde's long body loosely encircles Orla, "That doesn’t sound like a landman."
Orla tries to explain "He’s a kind of shape-changer. He was born female-shaped. But now he’s a man."
Gerlinde looks fascinated "I didn’t know they could do that. Shape-changers on the land…"
Orla rests her cheek against a part of Gerlinde's long body. "It sounds like it wasn’t easy, and he’s sometimes at risk. Because of that, and because of other things he does. But he does them anyway. I think that’s courage."
Gerlinde says "He might be safer down here. You could bring him. Keep him. There are ways."
"...I can’t do that. After he fought so hard to shapeshift and be the man he wants to be? That would be...cruel. To force him." She loosely hugs the coil of Gerlinde's body. "...no. He loves his ship. It means freedom to him. He will have to leave, and I’ll be sad when he goes, but it’s important for him to be happy."
Gerlinde pets Orla's hair gently. "And you can’t live on the ship with him."
"No, it wouldn’t be home. I wish there was a place halfway between."
Soberly Gerlinde says, "If there is, I don’t know it. But I’ll pray to the Deepmother, and listen to what the waters say."
Narration box [I think that this is a situation where waiting for the Currents won’t help. They’ll take Rook further, not bring him to me. But I don’t know everything. Maybe waiting in faith is the best thing to do when all your other options are sad or wrong.]
Orla says aloud, "I guess...if you hear anything, tell me? Anyway, if he leaves, maybe it means he doesn’t like me as much as I like him. It was worth meeting him, no matter what."
Narration box [These are the things you tell yourself when you need to be stronger than you feel.
But I can tell I’ve made Sister Gerlinde proud, and that feels good.]](https://i0.wp.com/somedistantshore.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/landandsea27.jpg?fit=1200%2C1675&ssl=1 "Orla smiles a little, talking about Rook, \"He’s not like my kin, or anyone else in the water. He doesn’t want from me, the way males do, or expect me to be like him, like females do. We talk. And we listen to each other.\"
Gerlinde's long body loosely encircles Orla, \"That doesn’t sound like a landman.\"
Orla tries to explain \"He’s a kind of shape-changer. He was born female-shaped. But now he’s a man.\"
Gerlinde looks fascinated \"I didn’t know they could do that. Shape-changers on the land…\"
Orla rests her cheek against a part of Gerlinde's long body. \"It sounds like it wasn’t easy, and he’s sometimes at risk. Because of that, and because of other things he does. But he does them anyway. I think that’s courage.\"
Gerlinde says \"He might be safer down here. You could bring him. Keep him. There are ways.\"
\"...I can’t do that. After he fought so hard to shapeshift and be the man he wants to be? That would be...cruel. To force him.\" She loosely hugs the coil of Gerlinde's body. \"...no. He loves his ship. It means freedom to him. He will have to leave, and I’ll be sad when he goes, but it’s important for him to be happy.\"
Gerlinde pets Orla's hair gently. \"And you can’t live on the ship with him.\"
\"No, it wouldn’t be home. I wish there was a place halfway between.\"
Soberly Gerlinde says, \"If there is, I don’t know it. But I’ll pray to the Deepmother, and listen to what the waters say.\"
Narration box [I think that this is a situation where waiting for the Currents won’t help. They’ll take Rook further, not bring him to me. But I don’t know everything. Maybe waiting in faith is the best thing to do when all your other options are sad or wrong.]
Orla says aloud, \"I guess...if you hear anything, tell me? Anyway, if he leaves, maybe it means he doesn’t like me as much as I like him. It was worth meeting him, no matter what.\"
Narration box [These are the things you tell yourself when you need to be stronger than you feel.
But I can tell I’ve made Sister Gerlinde proud, and that feels good.]")
All dialogue and narration for this page was entirely written by my amazing wife!
Some Distant Shore
A comic about pirates, seamonsters, and love.
A comic about pirates, seamonsters, and love.
All dialogue and narration for this page was entirely written by my amazing wife!